Until Forever Dies
by Sam Cuddles
Summary: And so the princess fell in love with a servent boy...


**Until Forever Dies**

This is a response to Simply Love`s 12 Fairytale Christmas Challenge.

Be sure to check out the site to read more beautifully done fairytales.

Fairytale: Cinderella... with a twist!

Song: Trading Yesterday`s - May I?

Read and Review.

* * *

"Once upon a time in a faraway kingdom where..."

"How far away is it?"

"Very far!"

"Is it close to the kitchen?"

"Not quite..."

"Up in the tree house?"_ Big brown eyes widened, pouty lips parting in disbelief as if the owner had confirmed something they had long suspected to be true._

"No. Do you want to hear the story or not?"

_Shuffling, a soft 'shsh' to a faded blue worn teddy bear held dearly._

Satisfied, he adjusted the book in his lap brushing the soft brown hair that rested against his tummy, feeling warmth where she pressed her chubby mandu cheeks.

"There was a princess. She was so pretty and had everything she wanted. She had nice friends, nice house..."

"Nice dolls too!" the young voice added enthusiastically.

"She was living the life of a princess and yet..."

_"What are you going to do without me?"_

_He almost dropped the steaming cup of coffee on the serious-looking business man in his almost blinding-white suit. He quickly bowed and left the table, hurriedly walking to hide behind the counter, clutching the tray close to his chest. He had not seen her when she had come in, but her voice; silky and smooth informed his love sick mind that she was here, sitting a table away from where he had been standing a moment ago._

_She was no other than Chu Ga Eul. Seoul princess, a multimillionaire heiress; his soulmate._

_"Awl! Flushed cheeks, twinkling eyes, hiding like a little kitty behind the glass counter. Has your jagi arrived So Yi Jeong?"_

_The loud booming voice of his big oaf of a friend known otherwise as Gu Jun Pyo interrupted his daydreaming. Fearful of people hearing, more especially her, he yanked the stained apron of his friend, bringing the huge man to kneel next to him. He rolled his eyes at the grinning goof in front of him. Despite being an average working college student who had less money than he needed to live, his friend somehow managed to keep his perms in perfect style every day of the week._

_"Are you insane? Do you want her to hear you?" he hissed lowly, eyes darting to look through the glass counter towards her usual table. For the past five months and 12 days, she had come to this very cafe where he worked, ordered a caramel latte and a banana muffin with streusel topping every Monday and Wednesday, on Friday she ordered strong black coffee with double chocolate muffins. Her friends ordered…stuff._

_She liked to twist her hair into a bun before drinking her latte. Forking small bites of her muffin and close her eyes when swallowing. Her eye-smile was breathtaking and she had a healthy rosy blush adorning her round cheeks. She was polite, she was beautiful and she was rich. In short, she was way out of his league._

_"Yah, what are you two doing here? Yi Jeong, table 4 wants the check now. Get your butt off of my clean floor and go get my money!"_

_Guem Jan Di was scary. Seven months pregnant Guem Jan Di on raging hormones was not someone to mess with. He took the leather cover, where table 4`s bill nestled inside. It wasn't until he was up and around the counter that he realized who exactly sat on table 4. He turned around, halting as he saw Jan Di with hands around her swollen hips glaring at him, Jun Pyo wiping the counter with the sleeve of his striped shirt, avoiding his pleading gaze on purpose._

_Jan Di`s scowl deepened, her clenched fist raised high; threatening. A flashback of Jun Pyo receiving the infamous spinning kick when she found him stuffing his mouth with freshly baked muffins, and it was the only encouragement he needed to head towards where Chu Ga Eul sat chatting with her companion. Self-consciously, he patted his head, trying to remove the stubborn fringe away from his eyes. Pushing the thick black-framed glasses up his nose, he cleared his throat when he stopped at the table._

_He refused to look her in the eyes, knowing his eyes would betray his feelings as well as the reddening of his cheeks. He couldn't help but notice the sparkle of her diamond watch, catching light as her wrist moved. It was always like this, he would daydream, picture their future together and hope for a day where she will notice that her true love has been standing next to her all along and then reality would materialize itself in the form of expensive jewelries, clothes, cars, or the fact that her face as well as her father`s was plastered on his TV and famous magazines. She was a princess and he was but a servant boy._

_He made to take the bill with the money now tucked inside but her hand rested atop of the black leather. Confused, he raised his gaze to her face, trying not to inhale sharply as warm brown eyes were watching him intently._

_"Be sure to inform the owner that her place is lovely. I`ll surely miss coming here!"_

_"You won`t find a place like this in America Ga Eul! That`s why you cannot leave Seoul." Her friend whined, obviously upset by Ga Eul`s announcement._

_His stomach dropped, and his heart missed a beat or two before resuming its regular thump-thump. He was screaming inside his own head 'No, you can`t leave!'._

_Nodding, he dashed away hoping that his legs wouldn't give up on him. Handing Jan Di the money, he made his way inside to the back of the café, where he stumbled outside the back alley._

_He leaned against the wall, breathing harshly._

_She was leaving!_

_"But I haven't told you that I love you!"_

**_~!~!~_**

_"Must you leave Ga Eul?" Jae Kyung pouted as she watched the girl paint her nails. Next to her sat Ga Eul who looked equally down and obviously unhappy about her decision._

_Nodding, Ga Eul remained silent, waiting for her nails to dry. Pale pink shimmered under the lights and they looked so pretty. They would match her outfit for tomorrow well. Beside her feet rested a box where a custom-made item had made its way from Venice. She had fallen in love with it the moment she saw it, and Ga Eul rarely fell in love. She admired, she gushed, she even fangirled but she had been in love a handful of times, this being one of them._

_"Then we will enjoy the ball tomorrow, you will dance with the handsomest man attending, and then we`ll cry in our PJ`s eating fattening things!"_

_Jae Kyung rarely if ever cried, but when your childhood friend whom you knew since you were in pink diapers was going away to a foreign country, leaving you behind, the occasion called for a crying fest and a going away slumber party._

_"I`ll see you tomorrow then, I need to run a few errands!"_

_Watching her exit, Jae Kyung sighed, Ga Eul was being stubborn. If only she would ask…_

_"Aish, Ga Eul. You stubborn pabo!"_

_A chair behind her, with heat curlers attached in place, Jun Pyo`s eyes snapped open hearing the familiar name and the familiar voice. Yanking his hand away from the pretty girl, he turned the girl he saw everyday with Yi Jeong`s girl; whom he referred to her as monkey because she laughed and ate like one._

_"Did you say that she`s leaving?" he demanded, not caring that all eyes were on him and the curlers bouncing in his hair. Caught by surprise by both the question and the man, she only managed a weak nod. It wasn't an everyday occurrence where you saw a man with curlers in his hair and a pinkish collar atop of his ugly plaids yelling at you in a freakin` girl salon._

_"Aish, Yi Jeong. You stubborn pabo!"_

_When Yi Jeong finally opened his door 10 minutes later, Jun Pyo was coming up with plans to stop his friend`s stupidity, and the girl`s, and his own for he could feel the curlers bouncing as he ran, people staring at him in the streets._

_Pushing him aside, Jun Pyo made his way inside where he and Yi Jeong shared a room near the community college where they both attended. He opened the shared closet, sniffing whatever he happened to grab hoping to find a clean article to be worn. Settling on a black shirt and worn jeans, he threw them at Yi Jeong who was sitting in front of his precious potter wheel, hands dirty with clay._

_"Yah! Wear those."_

_"Why?" came the curious reply. Jun Pyo bristled; he didn't even bother to look his way._

_"Your current obsession is leaving for good and your sitting making a plate. You`re as cold as a freezer!"_

_"And you have heat curlers in your hair. Your hair is fried by now!"_

_Sniffing around him, Jun Pyo gave a shriek of fear when the known smell of burnt hair reached his nose. Quickly he removed the burning hot curlers, blowing on the hair hoping that it wasn`t permanently damaged._

_"Your rich girlfriend owes me a hair treatment!" he yelled from the bathroom, examining the damage he had sustained by trying to play cupid._

_"Like you said she`s leaving so don`t hold your breath, perm boy!"_

_"Not if we do something about it…."_

_Against his better judgment, Yi Jeong found himself listening and an hour later, he was hopping._

_"If anything, you can see her one last time..."_

_Just maybe Jun Pyo was right…_

_Just maybe… maybe it wasn't too late after all if he found the courage to confess to her that he had loved her for a long time now._

_That night he slept hopeful and dreamed of her and their future for a dream is a wish your heart makes when you`re fast asleep._

**_~!~!~_**

_Yi Jeong loved formal wear as much as he loved washing the clothes of his roommate and friend Jun Pyo. He felt weird; people were looking at him weird. He knew he looked out of place, not because of the suit but due to his awkward stand at the entrance, thick black-framed glasses and a deer caught in the headlight look. He was ready to bolt any second now if Jun Pyo was no show._

_He had been waiting for a solid 30 minutes, watching people; rich people make their way inside the mansion dressed in the finest suits and gowns, each guest`s face hidden partially or completely behind a mask of sorts. Jun Pyo had dragged them to a freaking masquerade party for Pete`s sake. Maybe coming here was a bad idea after all. Maybe it was better to cling to the illusions he had of what might have been than face the harsh reality of what was and what would never be..._

_"Ah there you are. I thought you`d be home by now!"_

_"Yah! What took you so long?"_

_"So Yi Jeong willingly waiting for Jun Pyo so they could go to a party. Desperate huh?"_

_"Forget it! This is a bad idea. I`m going home now!"_

_He cursed the fates for having Jun Pyo be the stronger and taller out of the two of them. _

_"Too late, because here comes the belle of the ball!"_

_She looked as if she stepped down from her perch in the sky, dragging twinkling stars with the hem of her gown. The pale pink of the top darkened to a shimmering plum at the bottom adorned with no less than hundreds of small diamonds. The hem danced with her delicate movement like waves; back and fro. Her shoulder were bare and what one might mistake to be a floating pearl shaped diamond hung in the hallow of her throat, the chain so fine and thin it almost passed as non-existent. Her face was hidden, and he cursed the iron twists and butterfly-like design of her mask for hiding such a breathtaking face but he stopped at the last second when long lashed fluttered and revealed two brown jewels more bright than any other diamond he had seen this evening and he had seen plenty._

_"If I needed a drooling dog, I would have brought Kunamie with me!" Jun Pyo elbowed the still form of his friend hard, yet held back as to not knock him to the ground and ruin the borrowed suits of Woo Bin. He wasn't whipped like Yi Joeng but even he had to admit that the girl looked like she stepped out of a dream, Yi Jeong`s dream._

_She passed them by, her group of friends following her around like hungry wolves, and he suspected that none of them knew her other than the one and only heir to the 'Chu' fortune. He rolled his eyes, fixing a perm that looked out of place and watched as 'Monkey' clung to the fair arm of Ga Eul tightly. She looked decent... for a girl person... man...err...being?!. He shook his head; they were here for Yi Jeong not for... monkeys._

_Yi Jeong felt himself being elbowed in the ribs, then pushed forward, followed by a rough yank to the side. Whoever was horsing around with him was in for a beating as soon as he finished fantasizing about the angel he just saw. A fantasy where he was currently pushing her friends aside and swooping in for a true love`s kiss and to his never ending supply of good fortune, her iron mask did not poke him in the eye.  
_

_Two blaring signs that he was daydreaming. AGAIN!_

_He didn't have it in him to kiss her after pushing her rich friends aside and in the real world, her mask would most definitely poke him in the eye. _

_His heart lurched as he felt himself almost falling, steadying his clumsy feet at the last second. The warm air and the soft music filled his senses and he looked up. They were inside what he assumed to be a living fairytale ball. Expensive chandeliers, sharp looking waiters, a band on stage not some punk spinning a crappy DJ; an actual live band in suits and bowties._

_Feeling panic filling his lungs, his blood running cold, he turned to bolt; convinced that he didn't and would never belong in her glamorous world. It didn't have a place for servant boys playing dress ups. Yet again, having seen his intention to run; the ever loyal Jun Pyo stood in his path, a large comforting hand squeezed his shoulder. _

_"No running, no regrets. You may never get another chance..."_

_"When did you become so wise?"_

_"Experience my boy, lots and lots of experience!"_

_"You read it in a girl`s magazine, didn't you?"_

_"It has great hair tips. You should try them."_

_"And end up looking like **you**?"_

_A loud 'pfft' and a haughty huff, Jun Pyo flickered his perms "Bitch, please. I am fabulous!"_

_"Whatever yo... hey give them back!" He scrambled to get his glasses back, feeling naked without them. Ever since high school, he had always worn them. His eyesight was perfect but he still insisted on wearing his reading glasses everywhere, feeling safe with them on. No one could see his eyes or tell how he felt and for a shy person, that was a security blanket he refused to get rid of. _

_"How do you plan on wearing a mask with those on?" An elegant mask was thrust in his hands as he watched Jun Pyo secure one over his eyes, tying the silky ribbons behind the back of his head, mindful of his hair; his glasses clutched tightly in his hand._

_"I am not wearing a mask!" he hissed, noticing people giving them suspicious looks. They have been standing arguing like a married couple for a long time now and were starting to draw attention; not the right kind either. _

_"You will! Unless you want her to know it`s you!"_

_"Not like she noticed me...**ever!**" he mumbled, tying his own mask with ease; adjusting it over his face._

_"Stop muttering and speak up! Now remember, be mysterious yet there, always be polite, offer her your arm and don`t ever look to the floor or so help me God I will belt you So Yi Jeong!" _

_Feeling like a kid on his first day at school, with his mother waving from the gate, he gulped nervously, pocketing his glasses in the inside pocket of his suit. _

_He remembered Jun Pyo`s warning at his apartment as he neared Ga Eul and her circle of friends, "We have to leave before the clock strikes 12. The masks will be off and it`s time to return home before they call security on us!"_

___It was now or never. _

_**~!And there you stand opened heart-opened doors**  
**full of life with the world that's wanting more.!~**  
_

_She itched to rub the back of her neck and erase the phantom burning feeling that almost branded her skin. Ever since she stepped foot inside the building, a pair of eyes never strayed from her. People stared, either at her butt, the hint of cleavage or the jewels she wore. No, those eyes made her stomach flutter not in disgust but of anticipation and a secret thrill. Su Pyo was the one eyeing her rack and Eun Jae was the one eyeing her diamond necklace. She raised the long flute of champagne, pressing it to the corner of her lips; barely interested in the conversation going on around her. She nodded and smiled, doing her job as the hostess. Her eyes swept the spacious ballroom appreciating the decor, the music and the approaching sense of freedom. In less than 12 hours, she would be on her way to the airport for a one-way flight to the US. She bowed her head to someone that resembled her father`s cousin or was it her mother`s, not that she cared. The old geezer was almost always found lurking around women almost as young as her. She was close to chalking up the feeling to nerves and anticipation when it disappeared only to feel them again, only more intense as if their owner was standing right on top of her._

_"Um Ga Eul?"_

_"Hmmm?"_

_Jae Kyung was grinning like a fool, eyes twinkling behind her expensive mask. She turned to look over her shoulder. It took her a second longer to spot whatever that had caused her best friend to react the way she did. Like the red sea, people parted making way for what no doubt was the most beautiful man that walked the earth. _

_He was tall, dark and smoldering. The man was a walking, breathing masterpiece and he was looking straight at her. _

_Ga Eul never shied away from attention. The Chu first and only born, she practically crawled on red carpets and lived in the limelight. Her every move was known, and published in magazines for her fashion choices or the latest strategic venture of the Chu companies. She didn't need to. She was blessed with good looks, a decent brain and daddy`s credit cards but under the dark gaze from a gorgeous stranger, Ga Eul felt naked of those qualities and she wanted to avert her gaze and escape the attention bestowed upon her. She couldn't though. Much to her chagrin and dismay as whomever he was started walking closer to her, never breaking eye contact. _

_She would normally examine people from head to toe. From hair style right down to how the laces of the shoes were tied but she didn't with him. She couldn't. Eyes like his hooked their victims in. Black almost bottomless eyes framed by long lashes, the rest of his face hidden by an exquisite mask. A quick scan; broad shoulders, narrow hips and long legs and her eyes trailed back to his. He was a foot maybe two away from her, a foot maybe two way too far from her. The music continued and couples swayed and her friends were ignored._

_Yi Jeong, in any normal day, was a clumsy two-foot waiter, who burned four customers in his first week on the job and skinned his knees every end of the month. He was surprised when he managed to get to where Ga Eul was standing without toppling over after the first step he took. He fought not to scurry out of there back into the safety of his hoodies and glasses and tried not to look at how right the men around her fitted in her world; so effortlessly and with no need to play pretend. He stopped when she started to turn and she never failed to take his breath away no matter how many times he had memorized every counter of her face. Everything around them slowed down and he only saw her; then again he had only seen her ever since she walked into his cafe and his life. He just couldn't fathom the idea of her leaving and not seeing her ever again. _

_He did stumble then, but only because the not so gentle shove Jun Pyo gave him as he passed from behind him. He glared at the retreating back of his friend before straightening his jacket hoping his face wasn't red by now. _

_"Have we met before?"_

_The music was loud but he heard her. Her delicate fingers hugged the slim stem of her flute, her brown eyes glued to his face. He never liked the attention and didn't like it when people stared at him for a long time. He knew she asked him a question and he knew he needed to answer but he also knew if he attempted to talk, he would stutter and embarrass himself. So he busied himself with looking at her, silently. She barely had any make up on and yet she never looked less beautiful than the rest of the girls in attendance, in fact she looked the most radiant but then again he was biased._

_"Ga Eul, stop talking and go dance with him!" Jae Kyung gave Ga Eul a shove similar to the one Jun Pyo gave him, thinking how perfectly matched they were; as both had zero tact. _

_On instinct, his arms shot forward to catch her. His hands grasped her bare elbows and steadied her. She looked everywhere but at him and her round cheeks were starting to match the color of her dress. Swallowing, he spoke before he lost the courage he was feeling at the moment._

_"So shall we?" he offered her his hand, keeping his eyes on her face. Her eyes swung from his face to his offered hand, back and fro until she set her glass aside and slide her smaller hand into his, fingers curling slightly._

_He struggled to put a foot in front of the other and lead her to where the dance floor was starting to fill with couples. Her hand was small, soft and was holding tight to his own._

_She held on to his clammy hand as they walked the small distance to the packed dance floor. She felt all eyes were on them, more specifically on the handsome stranger escorting her. Like her, no one knew who he was or what was his business here but no one dared to address any of those questions for he was with the boss`s daughter. All they could do was watch the well-matched duo start to fall into a rhythm of the their own._

_Ga Eul never felt her feet touch the ground ever since he placed a trembling hand at the slight curve of her hip. She floated; her gown swishing whenever he twirled her and her heart drummed painfully when he brought her back into his arms. He was a stranger, she didn't know his name nor had she heard him speak aside from his request to dance earlier. She didn't care. He could be a homicidal sociopath for all she cared. She`d worry about that later. Right now all that did matter was how she was feeling._

_She wasn't scared, only curious. She didn't know his name or well… anything about him yet she felt like she knew him since forever. He gave her a sense of familiarity and a peacefulness she hadn`t felt since…_

_She shook her head, banishing those thoughts away. She was happy and she didn't need anything that would ruin her time with the handsome stranger._

_Yi Jeong saw her frown and he was worried that she had changed her mind about him, about dancing with him. Then she shook her head and smiled. He breathed easier and his heartbeats calmed some. He couldn't believe that he was actually dancing with the unattainable Chu Ga Eul. That he, Yi Jeong; Nerd Extraordinaire, was spending the evening with the Seoul Princess, the dream girl of every man in South Korea._

_'She probably wouldn't if she knew who you were, servant boy!'_

_"Aren`t you going to tell me your name?"_

_Her question surprised him. He hadn't realized that he had been absent minded, being all rude and ignoring her. after going through all the trouble to get here, he was being a moron and ignoring her._

_His mind scrambled to come up with a name to introduce as his own since he couldn't very well say his own real name; not like she would know who So Yi Jeong was. She probably didn't even know he existed much less knew his name._

_"Oh Soo," he remembered the time Jun Pyo had forced him to sit and watch a TV series with him. The name of the character had kinda stuck with him. It seemed appropriate now, both he and the male lead were pretending to be people they were not._

_"Welcome to my party, Oh Soo!" she smiled, having attached a name to the masked man. "I am…"_

_"Ga Eul," he supplied. "Chu Ga Eul!"_

_"How do you know who I am?"_

_"Everyone knows who you are!"_

_"But I am wearing a mask. I could very well be anyone!"_

_I`d know you. "Such beauty can`t be hidden by a mere mask!"_

_She felt the blood rush to her face. As corny and cheesy as it may seemed, his words moved her immensely. _

_Boys gave her compliments in various forms. Boys hit on her. she was beautiful, she knew but the way he had said, like he meant it, like… she meant something other than an object of fantasy made the famous butterflies come to life, fluttering in her tummy and making her giddy. Perhaps there was something left for her in Seoul after all._

_'You forget fast! Maybe it wasn`t true love you have felt Ga Eul!' a voice that sounded much like her own reminded her as she talked to Oh Soo. She marveled how not once while conversing with Oh Young had she thought about him; the very reason she was leaving Seoul. Like a silly girl, she dove head first and fell in love with the someone so wrong for her that even the fates stepped in and showed her that she shouldn`t even think about him, about the idea of them together. He wasn't from her world as she was not from his. A night to her day, he was not her father`s idea for his one and only daughter`s boyfriend, soon to be future husband. Did she forgot to mention that he was married and had a baby on the way?_

_Like she said, he was the wrong person to love._

_Then why was her heart insisting that he was the right one to love?_

_"You look worried. Am I causing you trouble?"_

_Startled, she looked up at him. he was much taller than she was; her head barely reaching under his chin and with his broad shoulders… it was actually kinda safe and cuddle-y. "Not at all. I was just thinking."_

_"Of?" _

_"I'm not sure. You see… it's… complicated."_

_"Isn't everything?," he asked with a smile "well… that is one thing I have learned. Life isn't a fairytale. You just have to make the best of what is dealt to you."_

_She agreed, "Yeah, I've come to realize that too."_

_"Ga Eul?"_

_"Yes, Oh Soo?"_

_"I..."_

_Whatever he was about to say was cut off by Jun Pyo. A very worried Jun Pyo who looked like he sprinted to where he was._

_"Dude we gotta leave. Now!"_

_"But I.."_

_"Oh Soo, what`s going on? Who`s this?"_

_"Oh Soo?"_

_The music halted, and Mr. Chu, Ga Eul`s father, stepped on stage. "Welcome everyone! It`s an honor to have you all attend my daughter`s farewell party. I trust that you had a beautiful evening." A round of applause filled the silence, Mr. Chu bowing gracefully. "In less than a minute, the clock will strike 12. The time to reveal yourself and shed your masks have approached. If you haven`t found out who it is you had spent your evening with, then be prepared to be surprised!"_

_"I am sorry Ga Eul, but I have to leave!" _

_He tried to move to the door, but she reached out and grabbed his hand. "Whoah, why? Is your carriage going to turn into a pumpkin, and your horses into mice?" He gave her a strange look. "You know… Cinderella?"_

_His lips pulled involuntary, "No, nothing like that."_

_"Then stay." She gave him a pleading look, "At least let me see the man who I have been pouring my heart out to all night."_

_He wanted to, needed to and would love nothing more than to stay with her forever even as Oh Soo but the fact remained the same. He couldn't. He wasn't part of her world, never would. He was the wrong person for her. It was better for her to not know who he was but rather remember him for what he wasn't._

_He faintly heard people chanting the countdown, '9,8,7,6'._

_He pressed a kiss to her hand, giving her one final look before bowing. "Thank you for the dance, Miss Chu!"  
_

_'5,4,3'._

_"Ga Eul, where have you been?" He saw her friend the one that always came with her to the cafe, the one that Jun Pyo kept looking at no matter how much he denied it._

_'2'_

_"Let`s go!" Jun Pyo grabbed his hand and dragged him. He cast one final look at her, seeing her looking at him; sad yet angered._

_'1'_

_And with that 'Oh Soo' disappeared out in the night and Yi Jeong went home to his hoodies and books._

_Ga Eul took a second to realize that he was leaving. A second too long. Pushing past Jae Kyung, Su Pyo and Eun Jae, she held the fabric of her gown and followed behind, hoping to catch him and get his number, his address, his... anything. She wanted to see him again... no she needed to._

_She stood just outside the double doors, panting and disappointed. She could see two men in suits up ahead but were too far to hear her call out to them and by the time her guards followed they would be long gone._

_"Ga Eul," It was Jae Kyung who sounded just as breathless as she had been a moment ago "what were you doing with that perm-y man?"_

_Confused, she turned to her best friend "Perm-y man? Jae, Oh Soo`s hair was silky smooth. His friend`s hair was..." it took her a moment to add the two and the two together and get a five then subtract one and get a four._

_"His friend, Jae. Do you know him?"_

_"You mean perm boy?" when she nodded her head, suddenly looking desperate "He goes to my hair saloon every Thursday!" _

_Maybe hope wasn't lost after all._

_"Miss Chu?"_

_"Yes?"_

_The waiter bowed, extending a hand towards her. Inside rested a familiar white-tapped thick-framed glasses. Ones she had seen before, frequently both in reality and in her dreams._

_It couldn't be..._

**_~!May I hold you  
as you fall to sleep.  
When the world is closing in  
and you can't breathe,  
may I love you!~_**

_When Jun Pyo closed his eyes as the girl washed his precious locks carefully, he didn't expect to open his eyes and see Yi Jeong`s girl and her Monkey companion hovering an inch away from his face._

_"Yaa!" He screamed, cringing at his shrill almost girl-like squeak._

_Jae Kyung, so focused on the napping perm-princess was startled and hastily leaned back. Her movement so fast and so uncoordinated that she found herself sprawled on the black and white tiled floor._

_"Not so sleeping beauty, eh?" Ga Eul snickered, before helping her red-faced friend up._

_"Let`s just find your Cinder-lad, Princess Chew!"_

_"Bhaha...Chew. That`s funny Monkey!"_

_"Shut up!" Both women turned to him, speaking in union._

_If she wasn't his best friend`s girl, Jun Pyo would have showered her with spit and a few insults for a start. Heiress or not, she needed a lesson in manners. 'What a spoiled brat!' he thought "So wrong for my delicate Yi Jeong!'._

_"Excuse you?"_

_Whoops! Did he just called her a spoiled brat out loud?_

_From the look on her face, he had._

_"Look... perm man. I am looking for someone; your friend. You`re both at my party two days ago!"_

_'Deny everything, admit nothing and make counter accusations._

_"You wish princesses!" he puffed his chest as much as he could while sitting down on the chair, getting his hair pampered._

_"Look," she kept a restraining arm on Jae Kyung who looked ready to jump him and bite his ear off, "I went looking at the Coffee shop for your friend, 'Oh Soo'. It`s his day off and I don`t know where he lives. Just tell me where I can find him and I`ll be on my way!"_

_She looked sincere, hell she sounded so earnest that he was tempted to drag her there himself. He would, he determined. He wanted to be there so he can tell him 'I told you so!'_

_"Why?"_

_"Why what?" Monkey finally snapped. "Let me have him Ga Eul, I`ll knock some sense into him or knock him into a wall!"_

_He wanted to see her try._

_"I have something of his," she showed him the glasses Yi Jeong spent the last two days mopping and looking for them in between glaring at him and blaming him for their loss "and he has something of mine!"_

_"What does he have?" Had YJ snatched something that belonged to the Ultra Rich Girl?_

_"My heart!"_

_By the time the trio made it to the library where Cinder-lad as Monkey had taken to naming Yi Jeong was cramming for his history exam, Ga Eul knew that she made the right decision to follow her heart and ditch her over analyzing brain back at the Chu mansion. _

_She learned a few interesting things about 'Oh Soo' AKA Yi Jeong. _

_He wasn't married nor a father to be, she had assumed and made an ass out of herself._

_He didn't set out to deceive her or lie to her; merely trying to see her one last time._

_And last but not least, he had been in love her ever since he first saw her._

_Yi Jeong squeezed his eyes shut, feeling the headache forming as minutes ticked away slowly. History was his favorite subject but without his trusty glasses he was having the hardest time focusing. It was the absence of his glasses as well as the constant thoughts of one Chu Ga Eul. He had felt like someone poured cement into his body, weighing him down. He had had his chance and he blew it, losing the only thing that made him feel safe along the way._

_Standing up, he made his way to return the book he had been reading and jolting notes from. The 'World History' section was at the back where it`s dusty and well... abandoned. _

_He had a habit of walking with his head bowed, avoiding eye contact, and today especially with no glasses on to shield his face, he lowered it more, his long bangs covering his features and it was no wonder he would crash right into someone as he took a turn right into the 'World History' section._

_Books fell; both his and the person`s he bumped into. He bent down, collecting scattered papers and overturned books and he froze. That diamond watch, one he knew all too well, entered his line of sight. Maybe he did need his glasses after all, for he was starting to see things that are not there._

_Ga Eul never felt this kind of feeling. A mix of nervous anticipation and a warm giddiness spreading in her chest, heart and toes. He was adorable, her mind however reminded her how manly he looked in that black suit. He was an enigma and he was hers._

_She pulled the white-tapped thick-framed glasses and carefully slide them over his eyes, his body frozen still. Her hand brushed away the long hair that was obscuring his beautiful face. His eyes were wide, surprised and hopeful._

_"Hey!"_

_**~!~!~**_

"Daddy?"

"Hmmm"

"Did they live happily ever after?"

"Why dont we ask mummy?"

"Mummy says it`s past someone`s bedtime!"

Three year old Hye Mi looked up pleadingly at her father who looked pained at having this kicked puppy look trained at him. He dropped a kiss, whispering loudly that he`ll sneak her another story tomorrow if she went to bed now. The toddler closed her eyes obediently, clutching the teddy tightly.

"She has you wrapped around her little pinky!" he closed the door softly, following down the hallway to his own bedroom.

"Just like her mummy!" He knelt in front of his wife of four years, his nose brushing the swollen belly that enveloped his son so warmly.

"So did they live happily ever after?"

"Well Mrs. So," he smiled against her lips feeling her hands wander under his shirt. Pregnancy made Ga Eul exceptionally needy of her husband; not that he minded.

"This is the happiest time of my life, Yi Jeong."

He dropped a soft kiss to her delicate lips. "Special moments like this will fill our lives, from now until forever dies."


End file.
